Naruto: Starting as the Third Hokage with Tears in His Eyes

Chapter 548 Favorable Timing, Location, and Human Harmony

"Little brother, your mind is in turmoil."

An old and calm voice sounded behind him.

It's Chiyo.

This legendary puppet master appeared more patient than her cunning brother throughout.

She rode on the back of a giant tortoise puppet, and could even close her eyes to rest during marches, conserving her strength and chakra to the maximum extent.

"The enemy is deliberately wearing us down."

Chiyo opened her cloudy eyes and slowly said, "They are like the most cunning rattlesnakes in the desert. They never confront their prey head-on. Instead, they patiently harass you in various ways, keeping you running for your life until you are exhausted and reveal a weakness, at which point they will deliver a fatal blow."

"Of course I know."

Ebizo replied somewhat irritably, "But we can't find them at all! We can't even catch a glimpse of them!"

"Then stop."

Chiyo's voice remained calm. "Order the troops to set up camp where they are and proceed cautiously. We can afford to wait, but they can't. This is our territory, and supplies can be delivered continuously. They, on the other hand, are like rootless duckweed; the longer this drags on, the more advantageous it is for us."

Upon hearing this, Ebizo fell into deep thought.

He knew that his sister's suggestion was the safest approach.

Respond to all changes with constancy, and use the attrition warfare that Sunagakure excels at to wear down the enemy.

But this also means that they admit they lost in this game of tracking and counter-tracking.

This was an unspeakable humiliation for the proud and arrogant Ebizo.

Just as he was hesitating, the sky suddenly darkened.

It is not nightfall.

Instead, a dark, yellowish curtain appeared on the distant horizon, obscuring the sky.

The curtain wall expanded at a visible speed, swallowing the sky and the sunlight, bringing with it a devastating roar.

"It's... a sandstorm!"

One of the ninjas let out a terrified scream.

Moreover, it was the highest level of black storm.

Ebizo's face instantly turned extremely ugly.

"Everyone! Set up camp here! Activate the defensive barrier! Quickly!"

The Sand Ninja immediately sprang into action amidst the chaos. They abandoned their pursuit and retrieved tents and defensive tools from their rolls, setting up a temporary camp as quickly as possible.

A fierce wind howled in, whipping up a cloud of yellow sand, plunging the world into chaos.

On the top of a sand dune not far from them.

Sakumo raised his head, looked at the sky that had been tinged with a dim yellow hue, and spoke calmly.

"A sandstorm is coming."

"Our game can now move to the next stage."

The wind howled, and the sandstorm blanketed the sky, turning the entire world into a hazy yellow.

Between heaven and earth, only the howling wind and the roaring sand remained.

Sakumo Hatake, Danzo Shimura, and Kagami Uchiha stood quietly atop the sand dune, an invisible wall of wind gently keeping the raging sand at bay, their clothes not even fluttering in the wind.

The red color in Uchiha Kagami's three-tomoe Sharingan stood out starkly in this dim world.

His vision pierced through layers of sand, clearly revealing the Sand Village pursuit force that they had toyed with all day, now encamped in the storm, their formation scattered and their morale low.

"We have the right timing, the right location, and the right people; all of these are on our side."

Uchiha Kagami's voice was gentle, yet carried a subtle, almost imperceptible sharpness.

"Luck is also a part of strength."

Danzo spoke succinctly, and his usually taut face now revealed a rare hint of almost gleeful coldness.

In his eyes, this chaotic scene was like a dilapidated building about to be demolished, full of structural beauty.

Sakumo Hatake didn't speak; he simply untied the short sword wrapped in layers of white cloth from his back.

When the white cloth was unfurled, a simple-looking short knife with a chilling white light emanating from it was revealed.

It has no fancy decorations, yet it seems to absorb all the light around it, and at the edge of the blade, a chakra light of condensed perfection faintly appears.

The White Fang of Konoha—this sword is the beginning of that legend.

Sakumo Hatake calmly gazed at the Sunagakure camp in the distance, the howling of the sandstorm automatically filtering out the noise, leaving only precise distance and direction assessment.

He suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching the ears of his two companions.

"Their supplies are a bit too much."

The understated nature of these words is like that of a farmer examining a field of crops that has grown too densely, considering whether thinning is necessary.

Danzo immediately grasped the deeper meaning. A glint of excitement flashed in his sharp eyes, the kind of excitement an architect feels when he sees a perfect foundation, or a demolition team leader when he sees the perfect spot for a demolition.

"It's not just too much, it's downright a burden."

Danzo Shimura added, his voice carrying an undeniable resolve, "Moving with heavy loads would severely impair their mobility. As allies... even if only potentially, we have an obligation to help lighten their load."

Uchiha Kagami shook his head helplessly, but a smile played on his lips.

He knew his two companions all too well.

"It's not just about reducing the burden,"

Danzo's voice grew lower and more oppressive, "And it must be silent. When they wake up exhausted and full of hope from the sandstorm, they will find themselves with nothing. The feeling of falling from the peak of hope into the abyss of despair is more destructive to a ninja's will than any blade."

This is Danzo.

Physical destruction is merely a means to an end; the true art lies in the complete crushing of the spirit.

This is remarkably similar to his philosophy of building those indestructible and magnificent structures to provide villagers with a sense of security from the root.

Sakumo Hatake nodded approvingly, then looked at Danzo and Kagami.

"Wait for me here."

Be careful in everything.

Uchiha Kagami gave his instructions.

"rest assured,"

Sakumo's answer remained indifferent: "Just going to water the sand and collect some things."

The moment he finished speaking, his figure vanished from the spot.

Moving at high speed, it truly blended into the swirling sandstorm.

He didn't stir up any extra wind, nor did he leave any extra footprints. He seemed to become a grain of sand, a wisp of wind, an insignificant yet ubiquitous part of this sandstorm.

Uchiha Kagami's Sharingan continued to rotate, but he could only barely catch a fleeting white afterimage in the sand curtain.

"Shuomao's infiltration techniques have improved again."

Jing exclaimed sincerely, "He has no longer merely used the environment, but has become one with it. This level of skill transcends simple stealth techniques."

"That's natural."

Danzo crossed his arms, looking completely matter-of-fact. "To manage such a large ecological farm as Konoha, how could you do it without this kind of extreme control over the environment? When to weed, when to kill pests, when to water—it all requires timing and precision."

Upon hearing this, Uchiha Kagami was speechless.